Health D-G’s message is food for thought

Star: PENANG: There is a downside to living in a hawker food paradise like Penang.
Health director-general Datuk Dr Ismail Merican said yesterday Penangites were prone to contracting the virus from contaminated food.
“To continue enjoying hawker food, Penangites should vaccinate themselves against Hepatitis A,” he said during the Penang Hepatitis Day awareness campaign at Gurney Plaza yesterday which was opened by Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon.
“The symptoms become apparent only at the late stage of the disease and by then it is usually too late to take any action,” he said.
Hepatitis B, which was linked to liver cancer, could be prevented by vaccination, said Dr Ismail, who is also Malaysian Liver Foundation president.
Dr Koh called on hawkers to be hygienic, adding that: “Cleanliness must be given the utmost importance.”